Unfortunately, Google Apps users are about to lose their ability to export Google Docs format files to the classic Microsoft Office formats, .doc, .xls and .ppt.
In a surprising move, as of October 1st, Google plans to eliminate the exporting capability for its cloud-based office suite–Google Docs users to export their documents in Office 1997-2003 formats. The move affects both Google Apps and Google Apps for Business, Government, and Education.
On the other hand, users will only be able to export to newer Office Open XML formats, .docx, .xlsx and .pptx, as well as numerous other options such as rich text, .csv and so on. That said, Microsoft does offer a free utility pack to help users of Office 2000 and 2002 work with the newer formats.
Considering the amount of people who still use very old versions of Microsoft Office, those who prepare documents through Google Docs would be well-served to check with the people they send their files to and make sure they are able to access them. However, for organizations with a diverse user base, Google’s action makes using its commercial productivity suite a potentially annoying exercise.
Image Source: (PCWorld.com)
The sudden decision may give many organizations pause for thought over the control that cloud providers can enforce over their data and its migration when it is held in the cloud. Though pulling support for a feature that already exists and works is odd, it is an indication that Google is on-board with the push toward XML and other more open formats. The change might just be the push that some businesses and governments need to update their productivity software.